Memories (Amy/River)
Title: Memories
Fandom: Doctor Who
Characters & Pairings: Amy/River
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don’t own Doctor Who
Summary: Set after episode 10. Doctor wants to fix Amy so he brings her to the person who knows her best, River. Part of my Spoilers series though it is not compulsory to read them first, just know that Amy and River are in an established relationship of sorts.
“Come on,” Said the Doctor, tugging on Amy’s hand and pulling her in the direction of the gallery exit. “We’re going to visit River.”
Amy, almost stumbling over her own legs, had no choice to follow the Doctor as he marched towards the TARDIS. She wasn’t going to complain about the opportunity to see River but something about the Doctors determined expression told her that this wasn’t really a social visit. “How do you know where she’ll be?” Amy asked, finally breaking free of the Doctor’s grip and falling into step beside him.
“I don’t, you do.” He said in that cryptic way which seemed to say he was absolutely sure of what he was saying and that you should be sure too, even if it was cryptic. He pulled open the door to the TARDIS and stalked inside with a walk that can only be described as purposeful.
“Okay...” Amy said unsurely, drawing out the word as long as physically possible, following him inside and shutting the door tightly behind her. It had opened mid time-travel the week before and Amy still hadn’t quite gotten over the site of centuries being squished around them until they fit into a kind of spectrum which the TARDIS promptly launched itself at and neck breaking speed. “What do you want me to do, throw a dart at a really big calendar?”
“No, although...” The Doctor seemed to consider Amy’s suggestion for a minute before deciding that even the TARDIS wasn’t big enough for a calendar that big. “No.” He grabbed her again, positioning her in front of a particularly complex looking section of the console. “I want you to close your eyes, think really hard of River and then start pressing buttons.” The Doctor instructed.
“I get to fly the TARDIS?” Amy asked, eyes wide with all the excitement of an eight year old girl who has just been told that not only can she have a pony for her birthday but a kitten, a puppy and bizarrely a baby chinchilla as well.
“No.” The Doctor said quickly placing a comforting hand on the console. “Just programme the time and place, I will do the... all the proper stuff.”
Amy raised an eyebrow at him, muttering “At least I would have used the stabilisers, and taken the breaks off.” under her breath. Shaking off the lingering tendrils on annoyance, Amy closed her eyes and pictured the many incarnations of River Song.
“Wait a minute.” She said suddenly, her eyes bursting open. “Do you think that when Vincent said I had lost someone he was talking about River? He did say something about a song but I thought he was just being dramatic.”
“Errr, no.” The Doctor said quickly. “No he was just... never mind that, just close your eyes and picture River.”
Amy rolled her eyes before complying and shutting her eyes once again. Visions of winter cabin filtered though her mind, followed by a large ship on a calm ocean and a dusty library. All of them were accompanied by a slightly different aged River and as he mind wandered she was conscious of the fact that whatever had gone on at River’s eighteenth birthday now really wasn’t the time to find out and that the Doctor would be annoyed if they turned up to a teenage or younger River.
She let her hands flow over the various buttons and levers, pushing or pulling them when her mind and fingers seemed to agree on the choice. “Done.” She said when she was.
The Doctor opened the door and looked out to see where they he had landed, he quickly shut the door again, bracing his back against it. “Amy, why are we in the middle of a room decorated with flashing 18 banners?” He said in a way that sounded calm whilst simultaneously conveying that he was freaking out on the inside.
Amy’s eyes went wide and her mouth formed a small O.
“Amy,” The Doctor said, “Please tell me that when I said think of River, you didn’t think of an 18 year old River.”
Amy pulled an apologetic face. “I didn’t mean to it’s just... she mentioned that we turned up once, on her 18th and I was trying so hard to make sure it wasn’t then that we turned up that I guess I... Sorry?” Amy ventured.
“Come on, we’re leaving.” The Doctor said, locking the TARDIS door and striding back over to the console. “This time I want you to think of a very much older River, one who may actually be abe to help.”
“Help with what?” Amy exclaimed.
“Never mind that.” The Doctor said. “Just close your eyes and think of River at least in her twenties, if that’s not too much to ask.”
“But I want to see her.” Amy whined. “We’re supposed to have this big adventure on her 18th, a totally platonic adventure!” She clasped her hands together. “Please, please.”
“We can come back later.” The Doctor promised, causing Amy to roll her eyes.
“Fine.” She said in a voice that suggested it wasn’t fine at all. “We’ll do it your way.” And she closed her eyes and pictured River, old enough so that the Doctor would be happy but young enough so that no one would bat an eye at them walking down the street together hand in hand.
The next time the TARDIS materialised the Doctor was much happier with the surroundings. “London!” He said, waving for Amy to follow him out of the TARDIS. “I love London in the 51st Century.”
“You’re welcome!” Amy called sarcastically, only going along with this so she could get to see River. She spent the time it took for the Doctor to find River wondering how hard it would be to get rid of the Doctor so she could catch up with the archaeologist. She giggled at the thought of her dating an archaeologist; she watched a Time Team marathon once, her TV froze on More 4 and she had to wait a whole day for the Repairman to come and fix her digital box.
They found River in the bottom of a very deep hole, excavating what appeared to be the studio set that had once been home to QI. Either that or sometime between the 21st and 51st centuries a giant had dropped his magnifying glass right over a massive letter i.
“Have you found Stephen Fry down there?” Amy called, smiling what she hoped was her sexiest smile down to the dust covered River.
River’s head snapped up. “Amy! Doctor! What are you doing here?” She called, standing up and brushing a bucketful of dust from her overalls. “And no, he has his own special memorial at Cambridge.”
“Brilliant, can we go?” Amy asked the Doctor.
“No, I told you, we are here for a reason.” The Doctor reminded her. “River, do you plan on leaving your little hole any time soon?”
“All you had to do was ask, Sweetie.” River teased, making her way up the nearest ladder after chucking her brush in the direction of her second in command and telling him she was taking the day off, and quite possibly the rest of the week. When she was back on street level she leaned over and kissed Amy hello on the cheek. “Don’t worry, I won’t get you dusty, I know you have a thing about that.”
Amy smiled, guiding River back in for a quick proper kiss. “I can make an exception. Besides, you make dust look like a fashion accessory.”
River laughed. “Trust me, you won’t be saying that at the dig in Arizona.”
“I can’t wait.” Amy smirked, locked in River’s gaze.
“Well, as touching as this is can we please get off the street so we can get Amy fixed.” The Doctor said, gesturing for River to lead the way.
“What do you mean ‘get me fixed’?” Amy frowned following the two time travellers as they walked down the street.
“Don’t worry, love.” River assured her, twining their fingers together. “It’s nothing I can’t fix.”
“So you’ve got something then?” The doctor asked.
“A couple of my memories of her talking about him stored on a hard drive. There’s space for a few of yours they should be more concrete.” River said.
The doctor nodded.
Amy was calmer that the Doctor had thought she would be when she remembered. River’s device had done the trick, setting off a cascade of memories of Rory in Amy’s mind. The Doctor, knowing Amy would need some time, decided to visit an old friend whilst he was in town, leaving Amy with River.
“How do you feel?” River asked, keeping a respectful distance from Amy. The Doctor had warned her of this on his and Amy’s previous visit.
“I don’t think I want to remember him if all I feel is pain.” Amy said honestly. “Does that make me a bad person?”
River shook her head. “Of course not.”
“How come you remember him?” Amy asked.
“Time traveller perk.”
Amy nodded. “Can you make the memories go away please, just for now I... I need some time.”
“If that’s what you want?” River asked.
“But can you keep them for me?” Amy asked. “I don’t want him to be wiped again.”
“I can store the memories.” River said. “The way psychologists do it, on the University network.”
Amy nodded, again.
When Amy woke up she was vaguely aware that the Doctor had made her come to see River and that she had apparently fallen asleep on River’s sofa. She was going to have to apologise for that.
She shook the sleep from her body and padded through the flat in the direction of River’s bedroom. Memories of the first time she had been here flittered through her mind, making her smile. Pushing gently on the bedroom door she made her way into the room, crossing the floor to slip into bed next to River, wrapping her arms around the other woman’s waist and breathing in the smell that was pure River.
“Good morning.” She whispered to River’s flickering eyelids, smiling softly when they opened. “Sorry about last night, I don’t know what happened to me, I can’t even remember.”
“Too much adventuring through time and space.” River suggested, wrapping her own arms around Amy and pulling her close.
“Are you alright?” Amy asked, pulling back so she could see River’s face. She could tell something was wrong; River was being way too quiet.
River sighed, forcing a smile. “I just missed you.”
Amy smiled, kissing River softly. “I missed you too. You know, the doctor and I went to see Van Gough and he said I was missing someone, that he could tell. And I was crying.”
River brushed her fingers over Amy’s cheek. “I love you Amy Pond.”
Amy giggled. “And I love you River Song, my time travelling archaeologist hero.”
“And how exactly am I a hero?” River asked, knowing it was against the rules to ask but doing it anyway.
“You’ll see.” Amy promised. “But first...” She propped herself up on her elbow and leaned down to kiss River languidly. “I have some making up to do for last night.”